US20150349302A1 - Battery cell shrink-wrap method and assembly - Google Patents
Battery cell shrink-wrap method and assembly Download PDFInfo
- Publication number
- US20150349302A1 US20150349302A1 US14/294,846 US201414294846A US2015349302A1 US 20150349302 A1 US20150349302 A1 US 20150349302A1 US 201414294846 A US201414294846 A US 201414294846A US 2015349302 A1 US2015349302 A1 US 2015349302A1
- Authority
- US
- United States
- Prior art keywords
- section
- shrink
- battery cell
- wrap
- wrap material
- Prior art date
- Legal status (The legal status is an assumption and is not a legal conclusion. Google has not performed a legal analysis and makes no representation as to the accuracy of the status listed.)
- Granted
Links
Images
Classifications
-
- H01M2/043—
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M10/00—Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M10/60—Heating or cooling; Temperature control
- H01M10/62—Heating or cooling; Temperature control specially adapted for specific applications
- H01M10/625—Vehicles
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B53/00—Shrinking wrappers, containers, or container covers during or after packaging
- B65B53/02—Shrinking wrappers, containers, or container covers during or after packaging by heat
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65D—CONTAINERS FOR STORAGE OR TRANSPORT OF ARTICLES OR MATERIALS, e.g. BAGS, BARRELS, BOTTLES, BOXES, CANS, CARTONS, CRATES, DRUMS, JARS, TANKS, HOPPERS, FORWARDING CONTAINERS; ACCESSORIES, CLOSURES, OR FITTINGS THEREFOR; PACKAGING ELEMENTS; PACKAGES
- B65D81/00—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents
- B65D81/18—Containers, packaging elements, or packages, for contents presenting particular transport or storage problems, or adapted to be used for non-packaging purposes after removal of contents providing specific environment for contents, e.g. temperature above or below ambient
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M10/00—Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M10/60—Heating or cooling; Temperature control
- H01M10/64—Heating or cooling; Temperature control characterised by the shape of the cells
- H01M10/647—Prismatic or flat cells, e.g. pouch cells
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M10/00—Secondary cells; Manufacture thereof
- H01M10/60—Heating or cooling; Temperature control
- H01M10/65—Means for temperature control structurally associated with the cells
- H01M10/653—Means for temperature control structurally associated with the cells characterised by electrically insulating or thermally conductive materials
-
- H01M2/024—
-
- H01M2/0439—
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
- H01M50/10—Primary casings, jackets or wrappings of a single cell or a single battery
- H01M50/102—Primary casings, jackets or wrappings of a single cell or a single battery characterised by their shape or physical structure
- H01M50/103—Primary casings, jackets or wrappings of a single cell or a single battery characterised by their shape or physical structure prismatic or rectangular
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
- H01M50/10—Primary casings, jackets or wrappings of a single cell or a single battery
- H01M50/116—Primary casings, jackets or wrappings of a single cell or a single battery characterised by the material
- H01M50/124—Primary casings, jackets or wrappings of a single cell or a single battery characterised by the material having a layered structure
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
- H01M50/10—Primary casings, jackets or wrappings of a single cell or a single battery
- H01M50/116—Primary casings, jackets or wrappings of a single cell or a single battery characterised by the material
- H01M50/124—Primary casings, jackets or wrappings of a single cell or a single battery characterised by the material having a layered structure
- H01M50/1245—Primary casings, jackets or wrappings of a single cell or a single battery characterised by the material having a layered structure characterised by the external coating on the casing
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M50/00—Constructional details or processes of manufacture of the non-active parts of electrochemical cells other than fuel cells, e.g. hybrid cells
- H01M50/10—Primary casings, jackets or wrappings of a single cell or a single battery
- H01M50/147—Lids or covers
-
- B—PERFORMING OPERATIONS; TRANSPORTING
- B65—CONVEYING; PACKING; STORING; HANDLING THIN OR FILAMENTARY MATERIAL
- B65B—MACHINES, APPARATUS OR DEVICES FOR, OR METHODS OF, PACKAGING ARTICLES OR MATERIALS; UNPACKING
- B65B2220/00—Specific aspects of the packaging operation
-
- H—ELECTRICITY
- H01—ELECTRIC ELEMENTS
- H01M—PROCESSES OR MEANS, e.g. BATTERIES, FOR THE DIRECT CONVERSION OF CHEMICAL ENERGY INTO ELECTRICAL ENERGY
- H01M2220/00—Batteries for particular applications
- H01M2220/20—Batteries in motive systems, e.g. vehicle, ship, plane
-
- Y—GENERAL TAGGING OF NEW TECHNOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS; GENERAL TAGGING OF CROSS-SECTIONAL TECHNOLOGIES SPANNING OVER SEVERAL SECTIONS OF THE IPC; TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER USPC CROSS-REFERENCE ART COLLECTIONS [XRACs] AND DIGESTS
- Y02—TECHNOLOGIES OR APPLICATIONS FOR MITIGATION OR ADAPTATION AGAINST CLIMATE CHANGE
- Y02E—REDUCTION OF GREENHOUSE GAS [GHG] EMISSIONS, RELATED TO ENERGY GENERATION, TRANSMISSION OR DISTRIBUTION
- Y02E60/00—Enabling technologies; Technologies with a potential or indirect contribution to GHG emissions mitigation
- Y02E60/10—Energy storage using batteries
Definitions
- This disclosure relates generally to shrink-wrap for a battery cell.
- Electric vehicles are driven, at least part of the time, using a battery-powered electric machine.
- Example electric vehicles include hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and electric vehicles (EV).
- HEVs hybrid electric vehicles
- PHEVs plug-in hybrid electric vehicles
- EV electric vehicles
- a powertrain of an electric vehicle is typically equipped with a battery pack having battery cells that store electrical power for powering the electric machine.
- the battery cells may be charged prior to use.
- the battery cells may be recharged during a drive by regeneration braking or an internal combustion engine.
- Electrically isolating portions of the battery cells from other areas of the vehicle may be required. Electrically isolating the battery cells while providing adequate cooling to the battery cells can be difficult.
- a battery cell shrink-wrapping method includes, among other things, covering a side of a battery cell with a section of a shrink-wrap material.
- the side interfaces with a cold plate when the battery cell is within a battery pack.
- the side faces downward when the battery cell is within the battery pack.
- the section is seamless.
- the side is a first side and the section is a first section
- the method further comprises placing a second section of the shrink-wrap material against a second side of the battery cell and placing a third section of the shrink-wrap material against a third side of the battery cell.
- the method includes joining laterally outer portions of the second section with laterally outer portions of the third section.
- the second and third sides extend from opposing edges of the first side transversely to the first side.
- the method includes covering at least one laterally outward facing side of the battery cell with shrink-wrap material during the joining.
- the method includes heating the shrink-wrap material after the joining to shrink the shrink-wrap material to the battery cell.
- the method includes covering a fourth side of the battery cell during the heating to block heat shrink material from covering the fourth side.
- the fourth side faces away from the first side.
- the method includes wrapping a cap covering the fourth side during the heating rather than wrapping the fourth side.
- the method includes compressing the laterally outer portions of the second section and the laterally outer portions of the third section during the joining.
- the second side and the third side interface with separators when the battery cell is within the battery pack.
- the method includes inserting the battery cell within a pocket provided by a cell holder when placing the second section against the second side and when placing the third section against the third side.
- a battery cell assembly includes, among other things, a case having a side to interface directly with a cold plate within a battery pack, and a section of a shrink-wrap material covering the side.
- the section is seamless.
- the section is a first section and the side is a first side, and further comprising a second section of the shrink-wrap material covering a second side of the case and a third section of the shrink-wrap material covering a third side of the case.
- the first section, the second section, and the third section are seamless.
- the second section and the third section are joined at a seam to cover at least a portion of a laterally outward facing side of the case.
- the case includes laterally outward facing sides each covered by a section of shrink-wrap material having a seam.
- the case includes at least five distinct sides covered by the shrink-wrap material.
- two of the sides are covered by shrink-wrap having seams, and three of the sides are covered by shrink-wrap having no seams.
- FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an example battery cell for use in an electric vehicle.
- FIG. 2 shows a close-up view of area 2 in FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 3 shows another perspective view of the battery cell of FIG. 1 .
- FIG. 4 shows a partial array of battery cells disposed on a cold plate.
- FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of selected portions of a shrink-wrapping assembly.
- FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of entry stages of the shrink-wrapping assembly of FIG. 5 .
- FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of an internal stage of the shrink-wrapping assembly sequentially after the entry stages of FIG. 6 .
- FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of another internal stage of the shrink-wrapping assembly sequentially after the internal stage of FIG. 7 .
- FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of another internal stage of the shrink-wrapping assembly sequentially after the internal stage of FIG. 8 .
- FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of another internal stage of the shrink-wrap assembly after the internal stage of FIG. 9 .
- FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of exit stages of the shrink-wrap assembly of FIG. 5 .
- battery cells 10 can be used to store and supply power for an electric vehicle.
- the example battery cells 10 each include a case 14 . Portions of the case 14 are covered in a shrink-wrap 18 . When the battery cells 10 are installed, for example, within a battery pack of an electric vehicle, the shrink-wrap 18 electrically isolates portions of the cases 14 from surrounding structures and from adjacent battery cells 10 ′.
- the example shrink-wrap 18 is a polyethylene terephthalate material.
- Other materials are possible, such as poly(vinyl chloride), polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, or multilayered film combining any of these.
- An additional layer of elastomeric materials such as ethylene-propylene and ethylene propylene diene rubber, and thermoplastic films such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer can be added to the multilayer construction to meet specific mechanical and thermal properties.
- the example shrink-wrap 18 can be from 0.07 to 0.10 millimeters thick.
- the battery cells 10 each include a first side 20 , a second side 22 , a third side 24 , a fourth side 26 , a fifth side 28 , and a sixth side 30 .
- the first side 20 , the second side 22 , the third side 24 , the fourth side 26 , and the fifth side 28 are covered in the shrink-wrap 18 .
- the remaining sixth side 30 is not covered in the shrink-wrap 18 .
- the example battery cells 10 are hexahedral, other geometries are possible.
- the battery cells 10 are arranged to form an array 34 of a battery pack.
- the array 34 is disposed on a cold plate 38 .
- the battery cells 10 During operation, the battery cells 10 generate thermal energy. If not removed, the thermal energy can build up within the cells and reduce both cell performance and life. Coolant circulating through the cold plate 38 carries thermal energy from the cell 10 to prevent excessive thermal energy buildup. The coolant circulates through channels of the cold plate 38 from an inlet 40 to an outlet 42 .
- the first sides 20 of the battery cells 10 interface with the cold plate 38 .
- the sides of the battery cells 10 interfacing with the cold plate 38 are covered in shrink-wrap 18 .
- the first side 20 is generally, the side interfacing with the cold plate 38 .
- the first sides 20 of the example battery cells 10 are directed downwardly when the battery cells 10 are in an installed position within an electric vehicle. Other orientations are possible in other examples.
- the shrink-wrap 18 covering the first side 20 is seamless. That is, there are no seams within the shrink-wrap 18 across the entirety of the first side 20 , and across the entire interface between the battery cells 10 and the cold plate 38 .
- the thickness of the shrink-wrap across the first side is relatively uniform in thickness.
- the uniform thickness facilitates a robust thermal coupling of the battery cells 10 to the cold plate 38 . This enhances the effectiveness of thermal energy transfer from the battery cells 10 to the cold plate 38 .
- Seams in the interface between the battery cells 10 and the cold plate 38 may space the battery cells 10 further from the cold plate 38 , which undesirably degrades transfer of thermal energy to the cold plate 38 .
- the seams would have a thickness that could be greater or less than a thickness of the shrink-wrap 18 . Eliminating seams from first side 20 can reduce the likelihood of, among other things, short-circuiting due to a damaged wrap, and insufficient or non-uniform cooling.
- the battery cells 10 are arranged with the other cells along an axis A. Separators 46 are positioned between axially adjacent battery cells 10 and 10 ′.
- the cells 10 may be under axial compression within a battery pack. End plates (not shown) at opposing axial ends of the array along with other array structures may facilitate this compression when these two end plates are attached to sidewalls (also not shown) to form the array 34 .
- the second side 22 and the third side 24 face axially in this example.
- the separators 46 contact the second side 22 and third side 24 of axially adjacent ones of the battery cells 10 .
- the shrink-wrap 18 covering the second side 22 and the third side 24 is also seamless.
- the thickness of the shrink-wrap 18 covering these sides is this relatively uniform. This ensures a compact and consistent interface between the battery cells 10 and the separators 46 .
- the fourth sides 26 and the fifth sides 28 face laterally outward from the axis A.
- the fourth sides 26 and the fifth sides 28 may interface with sidewalls (not shown) of the array 34 .
- the fourth side 26 and the fifth side 28 include seams S.
- the only seams of the shrink-wrap 18 secured to the case 96 are located at the fourth side 26 and the fifth side 28 .
- all seams S in the example cell 10 are confined to laterally outboard edges of the battery cells 10 .
- the sixth sides 30 of the battery cells 10 include terminals 50 , vents 54 , and other types of connections and paths from the interior of the battery cells 10 .
- bus bars (not shown) can be placed adjacent the sixth sides 30 to electrically connect a vehicle with the battery cells 10 through the terminals 50 .
- An example shrink-wrap assembly 80 includes a first carrier conveyor 84 and a second carrier conveyor 88 .
- the first carrier conveyor 84 holds a plurality of caps 92 , which connect to a case 96 of a battery cell as a stage of assembly shown in FIG. 6 .
- the cap 92 When secured to the case 96 , the cap 92 covers the sixth side 30 including the terminals of the case 96 .
- the cap 92 may be either a thermoset or thermoplastic syntactic foam in some examples.
- the example case 96 is primarily aluminum.
- Arms may contact laterally outer surfaces of the case 96 to stabilize the case 96 during assembly and to bring the case 96 into contact with the cap 92 .
- the second conveyor 88 includes a plurality of cell holders 100 .
- the holders 100 can be made of an epoxy-based thermoset, such as syntactic foam, for example.
- the assembly 80 moves to a stage of assembly shown in FIG. 7 where the case 96 is lowered into a gap G between the cell holders 100 .
- a sheet of shrink-wrap material 110 extends along the assembly 80 between the first carrier conveyor 84 and the second carrier conveyor 88 .
- a spool provides the sheet of shrink-wrap material 110 .
- the case 96 presses down on a first section 120 of the shrink-wrap material 110 .
- Moving the case 96 further downward into the gap folds a second section 124 and a third section 128 of the shrink-wrap material 110 against the axially facing sides of the case 96 .
- the first section 120 , the second section 124 , and the third section 128 are sections of the continuous sheet of shrink-wrap material 110 .
- the sheet of shrink-wrap material 110 is wider than the lateral dimension of the case 96 .
- the shrink-wrap extends a distance D laterally past the case.
- the distance D is more than half of the width W of the laterally outward facing sides of the case 96 .
- a pair of sealers 130 slides into position within the assembly 80 between the first conveyor 84 and the second conveyor 88 .
- Any suitable actuator may be utilized to slide and otherwise manipulate the positions of the sealers 130 .
- the sealers 130 After moving between the first conveyor 84 and the second conveyor 88 , the sealers 130 are moved toward each other and over a respective one of the holders 100 .
- the sealers 130 include clearance to accommodate the cap 92 and its associated attachments to the conveyor 84 .
- the continuous sheet of wrap-material 110 is then cut so that an appropriate amount of wrap material 110 extends beyond the cap 92 .
- This extra material will also extend a distance similar to distance D such that the extended material is notably more than half the width of the cap 92 .
- the example sealers 130 compress portions of the first section 120 , the second section 124 , and the third section 128 against each other. As can be appreciated, the sealers 130 compress the portions of shrink-wrap extending laterally past the case 96 .
- the sealers 130 can include heated areas to melt the shrink-wrap material 110 at or near when the shrink-wrap material 110 is contacted by the sealers 130 .
- Compressing and, optionally, heating the shrink-wrap material 110 joins the second section 124 to the third section 128 at laterally outboard edges of the case 96 .
- the joining creates a seam at these edges and outboard of cap 92 , which interfaces with the sixth side 30 .
- the cell 10 with surrounding wrap material 110 can then be moved through an oven where heat shrinks the shrink-wrap material 110 to conform to the approximate dimensions of the case 96 and the cap 92 .
- the shrink-wrap material 110 may alternatively be heated at a later stage of assembly.
- the excess material can then be trimmed away leaving the case 96 with shrink-wrap shown in the assembly step of FIG. 10 .
- the excess material may alternatively be trimmed at an earlier stage of assembly.
- the seams created by the joining are shown as seams S in FIG. 10 .
- the first conveyor 84 then begins to separate from the second conveyor 88 removing the case 96 with shrink-wrap from the gap G.
- a blade, a rotating knife, or some other cutting device is then used to separate portions of the shrink-wrap material 110 covering the cap 92 from portions covering the case 96 .
- the portions are separated at a cutline C.
- the cap 92 can then be pulled from the case 96 , and the case supported laterally by arms (not shown).
- the cutline C can be positioned so that a portion of shrink-wrap material extends upward past the sixth side 30 .
- the shrink-wrap material 110 extends from 2 to 3 millimeters past the sixth side 30 (see FIG. 2 ).
- shrink-wrap material 110 Leaving some shrink-wrap material 110 extending past the sixth side ensures that the full vertical extending expanse of the cell 10 is covered in the shrink-wrap material 110 .
- This vertical extension increases the distance for electricity to track between adjacent cells, allowing cells to be stacked closer to one another. Further, the approach reduces the likelihood of the cut edge C of shrink wrap material 110 occurring below the top of cell 10 due to, for example, thermal cooling effects or variations in process or material.
- the cell warp material 110 extending past the sixth side 30 may increase the effectiveness of the shrink wrap to electrically isolate the sixth side ( 30 ) of the cell.
- the cap 92 is then pulled away from the case 96 leaving the cell 10 , which is covered in a shrink-wrap material on all sides except for the sixth side 30 .
- the cap 92 prevented the shrink-wrap material 110 from covering the sixth side 30 during assembly.
- the shrink-wrap material 110 secured to the cap 96 can be pulled from the cap 96 using suction cups, for example.
- the cutting device establishing the cutline C may further cut the shrink-wrap material 110 covering the cap 92 into two pieces.
- a battery cell that is shrink-wrapped and has a seamless interface to a cold plate.
- Another feature includes wrapping at least three surfaces in a way to prevent defects and seams.
- Another feature is feeding the shrink-wrap material directly from a spool, which eliminates preprocessing of the shrink-wrap material.
Abstract
An example battery cell shrink-wrapping method includes covering a side of a battery cell with a section of a shrink-wrap material. The side interfaces with a cold plate when the battery cell is within a battery pack.
Description
- This disclosure relates generally to shrink-wrap for a battery cell.
- Electric vehicles are driven, at least part of the time, using a battery-powered electric machine. Example electric vehicles include hybrid electric vehicles (HEVs), plug-in hybrid electric vehicles (PHEVs), and electric vehicles (EV).
- A powertrain of an electric vehicle is typically equipped with a battery pack having battery cells that store electrical power for powering the electric machine. The battery cells may be charged prior to use. The battery cells may be recharged during a drive by regeneration braking or an internal combustion engine.
- Electrically isolating portions of the battery cells from other areas of the vehicle may be required. Electrically isolating the battery cells while providing adequate cooling to the battery cells can be difficult.
- A battery cell shrink-wrapping method according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, covering a side of a battery cell with a section of a shrink-wrap material. The side interfaces with a cold plate when the battery cell is within a battery pack.
- In another example of the foregoing method, the side faces downward when the battery cell is within the battery pack.
- In another example of any of the foregoing methods, the section is seamless.
- In another example of any of the foregoing methods, the side is a first side and the section is a first section, and the method further comprises placing a second section of the shrink-wrap material against a second side of the battery cell and placing a third section of the shrink-wrap material against a third side of the battery cell.
- In another example of any of the foregoing methods, the method includes joining laterally outer portions of the second section with laterally outer portions of the third section.
- In another example of any of the foregoing methods, the second and third sides extend from opposing edges of the first side transversely to the first side.
- In another example of any of the foregoing methods, the method includes covering at least one laterally outward facing side of the battery cell with shrink-wrap material during the joining.
- In another example of any of the foregoing methods, the method includes heating the shrink-wrap material after the joining to shrink the shrink-wrap material to the battery cell.
- In another example of any of the foregoing methods, the method includes covering a fourth side of the battery cell during the heating to block heat shrink material from covering the fourth side. The fourth side faces away from the first side.
- In another example of any of the foregoing methods, the method includes wrapping a cap covering the fourth side during the heating rather than wrapping the fourth side.
- In another example of any of the foregoing methods, the method includes compressing the laterally outer portions of the second section and the laterally outer portions of the third section during the joining.
- In another example of any of the foregoing methods, the second side and the third side interface with separators when the battery cell is within the battery pack.
- In another example of any of the foregoing methods, the method includes inserting the battery cell within a pocket provided by a cell holder when placing the second section against the second side and when placing the third section against the third side.
- A battery cell assembly according to an exemplary aspect of the present disclosure includes, among other things, a case having a side to interface directly with a cold plate within a battery pack, and a section of a shrink-wrap material covering the side.
- In another example of the foregoing assembly, the section is seamless.
- In another example of any of the foregoing assemblies, the section is a first section and the side is a first side, and further comprising a second section of the shrink-wrap material covering a second side of the case and a third section of the shrink-wrap material covering a third side of the case. The first section, the second section, and the third section are seamless.
- In another example of any of the foregoing assemblies, the second section and the third section are joined at a seam to cover at least a portion of a laterally outward facing side of the case.
- In another example of any of the foregoing assemblies, the case includes laterally outward facing sides each covered by a section of shrink-wrap material having a seam.
- In another example of any of the foregoing assemblies, the case includes at least five distinct sides covered by the shrink-wrap material.
- In another example of any of the foregoing assemblies, two of the sides are covered by shrink-wrap having seams, and three of the sides are covered by shrink-wrap having no seams.
- The embodiments, examples and alternatives of the preceding paragraphs, the claims, or the following description and drawings, including any of their various aspects or respective individual features, may be taken independently or in any combination. Features described in connection with one embodiment are applicable to all embodiments, unless such features are incompatible.
- The various features and advantages of the disclosed examples will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the detailed description. The figures that accompany the detailed description can be briefly described as follows:
-
FIG. 1 shows a perspective view of an example battery cell for use in an electric vehicle. -
FIG. 2 shows a close-up view ofarea 2 inFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 3 shows another perspective view of the battery cell ofFIG. 1 . -
FIG. 4 shows a partial array of battery cells disposed on a cold plate. -
FIG. 5 shows a perspective view of selected portions of a shrink-wrapping assembly. -
FIG. 6 shows a perspective view of entry stages of the shrink-wrapping assembly ofFIG. 5 . -
FIG. 7 shows a perspective view of an internal stage of the shrink-wrapping assembly sequentially after the entry stages ofFIG. 6 . -
FIG. 8 shows a perspective view of another internal stage of the shrink-wrapping assembly sequentially after the internal stage ofFIG. 7 . -
FIG. 9 shows a perspective view of another internal stage of the shrink-wrapping assembly sequentially after the internal stage ofFIG. 8 . -
FIG. 10 shows a perspective view of another internal stage of the shrink-wrap assembly after the internal stage ofFIG. 9 . -
FIG. 11 shows a perspective view of exit stages of the shrink-wrap assembly ofFIG. 5 . - Referring to
FIGS. 1 to 4 ,battery cells 10 can be used to store and supply power for an electric vehicle. - The
example battery cells 10 each include acase 14. Portions of thecase 14 are covered in a shrink-wrap 18. When thebattery cells 10 are installed, for example, within a battery pack of an electric vehicle, the shrink-wrap 18 electrically isolates portions of thecases 14 from surrounding structures and fromadjacent battery cells 10′. - The example shrink-
wrap 18 is a polyethylene terephthalate material. Other materials are possible, such as poly(vinyl chloride), polyolefins such as polyethylene and polypropylene, or multilayered film combining any of these. An additional layer of elastomeric materials such as ethylene-propylene and ethylene propylene diene rubber, and thermoplastic films such as ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer can be added to the multilayer construction to meet specific mechanical and thermal properties. The example shrink-wrap 18 can be from 0.07 to 0.10 millimeters thick. - The
battery cells 10 each include afirst side 20, asecond side 22, athird side 24, afourth side 26, afifth side 28, and asixth side 30. In this example, thefirst side 20, thesecond side 22, thethird side 24, thefourth side 26, and thefifth side 28 are covered in the shrink-wrap 18. The remainingsixth side 30 is not covered in the shrink-wrap 18. Although theexample battery cells 10 are hexahedral, other geometries are possible. - In an installed position within the vehicle, the
battery cells 10 are arranged to form anarray 34 of a battery pack. Thearray 34 is disposed on acold plate 38. - During operation, the
battery cells 10 generate thermal energy. If not removed, the thermal energy can build up within the cells and reduce both cell performance and life. Coolant circulating through thecold plate 38 carries thermal energy from thecell 10 to prevent excessive thermal energy buildup. The coolant circulates through channels of thecold plate 38 from aninlet 40 to anoutlet 42. - In the installed position, the
first sides 20 of thebattery cells 10 interface with thecold plate 38. Notably, the sides of thebattery cells 10 interfacing with thecold plate 38 are covered in shrink-wrap 18. - The
first side 20 is generally, the side interfacing with thecold plate 38. The first sides 20 of theexample battery cells 10 are directed downwardly when thebattery cells 10 are in an installed position within an electric vehicle. Other orientations are possible in other examples. - In this example, the shrink-
wrap 18 covering thefirst side 20 is seamless. That is, there are no seams within the shrink-wrap 18 across the entirety of thefirst side 20, and across the entire interface between thebattery cells 10 and thecold plate 38. - Without seams, the thickness of the shrink-wrap across the first side is relatively uniform in thickness. The uniform thickness facilitates a robust thermal coupling of the
battery cells 10 to thecold plate 38. This enhances the effectiveness of thermal energy transfer from thebattery cells 10 to thecold plate 38. - Seams in the interface between the
battery cells 10 and thecold plate 38 may space thebattery cells 10 further from thecold plate 38, which undesirably degrades transfer of thermal energy to thecold plate 38. The seams, as can be appreciated, would have a thickness that could be greater or less than a thickness of the shrink-wrap 18. Eliminating seams fromfirst side 20 can reduce the likelihood of, among other things, short-circuiting due to a damaged wrap, and insufficient or non-uniform cooling. - The
battery cells 10 are arranged with the other cells along anaxis A. Separators 46 are positioned between axiallyadjacent battery cells cells 10 may be under axial compression within a battery pack. End plates (not shown) at opposing axial ends of the array along with other array structures may facilitate this compression when these two end plates are attached to sidewalls (also not shown) to form thearray 34. - The
second side 22 and thethird side 24 face axially in this example. Theseparators 46 contact thesecond side 22 andthird side 24 of axially adjacent ones of thebattery cells 10. - The shrink-
wrap 18 covering thesecond side 22 and thethird side 24 is also seamless. The thickness of the shrink-wrap 18 covering these sides is this relatively uniform. This ensures a compact and consistent interface between thebattery cells 10 and theseparators 46. - The fourth sides 26 and the
fifth sides 28 face laterally outward from the axis A. The fourth sides 26 and thefifth sides 28 may interface with sidewalls (not shown) of thearray 34. - The
fourth side 26 and thefifth side 28 include seams S. In this example, the only seams of the shrink-wrap 18 secured to thecase 96 are located at thefourth side 26 and thefifth side 28. Thus, all seams S in theexample cell 10 are confined to laterally outboard edges of thebattery cells 10. - The sixth sides 30 of the
battery cells 10 includeterminals 50, vents 54, and other types of connections and paths from the interior of thebattery cells 10. Within a battery pack, bus bars (not shown) can be placed adjacent thesixth sides 30 to electrically connect a vehicle with thebattery cells 10 through theterminals 50. - A method of wrapping the
cell 10 with the shrink-wrap 18 will now be described in connection withFIGS. 5 to 11 . An example shrink-wrap assembly 80 includes afirst carrier conveyor 84 and asecond carrier conveyor 88. Thefirst carrier conveyor 84 holds a plurality ofcaps 92, which connect to acase 96 of a battery cell as a stage of assembly shown inFIG. 6 . - When secured to the
case 96, thecap 92 covers thesixth side 30 including the terminals of thecase 96. Thecap 92 may be either a thermoset or thermoplastic syntactic foam in some examples. Theexample case 96 is primarily aluminum. - Arms (not shown) may contact laterally outer surfaces of the
case 96 to stabilize thecase 96 during assembly and to bring thecase 96 into contact with thecap 92. - The
second conveyor 88 includes a plurality ofcell holders 100. Theholders 100 can be made of an epoxy-based thermoset, such as syntactic foam, for example. - After the
case 96 of the cell is secured to one of thecaps 92, theassembly 80 moves to a stage of assembly shown inFIG. 7 where thecase 96 is lowered into a gap G between thecell holders 100. - A sheet of shrink-
wrap material 110 extends along theassembly 80 between thefirst carrier conveyor 84 and thesecond carrier conveyor 88. A spool provides the sheet of shrink-wrap material 110. When thecase 96 is lowered into the gap G, thecase 96 presses down on afirst section 120 of the shrink-wrap material 110. Moving thecase 96 further downward into the gap folds asecond section 124 and athird section 128 of the shrink-wrap material 110 against the axially facing sides of thecase 96. Thefirst section 120, thesecond section 124, and thethird section 128 are sections of the continuous sheet of shrink-wrap material 110. - The sheet of shrink-
wrap material 110 is wider than the lateral dimension of thecase 96. In this example, the shrink-wrap extends a distance D laterally past the case. Notably, the distance D is more than half of the width W of the laterally outward facing sides of thecase 96. - As shown in the stage of assembly of
FIG. 8 , a pair ofsealers 130 slides into position within theassembly 80 between thefirst conveyor 84 and thesecond conveyor 88. Any suitable actuator may be utilized to slide and otherwise manipulate the positions of thesealers 130. - After moving between the
first conveyor 84 and thesecond conveyor 88, thesealers 130 are moved toward each other and over a respective one of theholders 100. Thesealers 130 include clearance to accommodate thecap 92 and its associated attachments to theconveyor 84. - The continuous sheet of wrap-
material 110 is then cut so that an appropriate amount ofwrap material 110 extends beyond thecap 92. This extra material will also extend a distance similar to distance D such that the extended material is notably more than half the width of thecap 92. - As shown in the assembly stage of
FIG. 9 , theexample sealers 130 compress portions of thefirst section 120, thesecond section 124, and thethird section 128 against each other. As can be appreciated, thesealers 130 compress the portions of shrink-wrap extending laterally past thecase 96. - The
sealers 130 can include heated areas to melt the shrink-wrap material 110 at or near when the shrink-wrap material 110 is contacted by thesealers 130. - Compressing and, optionally, heating the shrink-
wrap material 110 joins thesecond section 124 to thethird section 128 at laterally outboard edges of thecase 96. The joining creates a seam at these edges and outboard ofcap 92, which interfaces with thesixth side 30. - The
cell 10 with surroundingwrap material 110 can then be moved through an oven where heat shrinks the shrink-wrap material 110 to conform to the approximate dimensions of thecase 96 and thecap 92. The shrink-wrap material 110 may alternatively be heated at a later stage of assembly. - The excess material can then be trimmed away leaving the
case 96 with shrink-wrap shown in the assembly step ofFIG. 10 . The excess material may alternatively be trimmed at an earlier stage of assembly. The seams created by the joining are shown as seams S inFIG. 10 . - Referring now to
FIG. 11 , thefirst conveyor 84 then begins to separate from thesecond conveyor 88 removing thecase 96 with shrink-wrap from the gap G. - A blade, a rotating knife, or some other cutting device, is then used to separate portions of the shrink-
wrap material 110 covering thecap 92 from portions covering thecase 96. The portions are separated at a cutline C. Thecap 92 can then be pulled from thecase 96, and the case supported laterally by arms (not shown). - The cutline C can be positioned so that a portion of shrink-wrap material extends upward past the
sixth side 30. In one example, the shrink-wrap material 110 extends from 2 to 3 millimeters past the sixth side 30 (seeFIG. 2 ). - Leaving some shrink-
wrap material 110 extending past the sixth side ensures that the full vertical extending expanse of thecell 10 is covered in the shrink-wrap material 110. This vertical extension increases the distance for electricity to track between adjacent cells, allowing cells to be stacked closer to one another. Further, the approach reduces the likelihood of the cut edge C ofshrink wrap material 110 occurring below the top ofcell 10 due to, for example, thermal cooling effects or variations in process or material. Also, in some configurations, thecell warp material 110 extending past thesixth side 30 may increase the effectiveness of the shrink wrap to electrically isolate the sixth side (30) of the cell. - The
cap 92 is then pulled away from thecase 96 leaving thecell 10, which is covered in a shrink-wrap material on all sides except for thesixth side 30. Thecap 92 prevented the shrink-wrap material 110 from covering thesixth side 30 during assembly. - The shrink-
wrap material 110 secured to thecap 96 can be pulled from thecap 96 using suction cups, for example. The cutting device establishing the cutline C may further cut the shrink-wrap material 110 covering thecap 92 into two pieces. - Features of the disclosed examples include a battery cell that is shrink-wrapped and has a seamless interface to a cold plate. Another feature includes wrapping at least three surfaces in a way to prevent defects and seams. Another feature is feeding the shrink-wrap material directly from a spool, which eliminates preprocessing of the shrink-wrap material.
- The preceding description is exemplary rather than limiting in nature. Variations and modifications to the disclosed examples may become apparent to those skilled in the art that do not necessarily depart from the essence of this disclosure. Thus, the scope of legal protection given to this disclosure can only be determined by studying the following claims.
Claims (20)
1. A battery cell shrink-wrapping method, comprising:
covering a side of a battery cell with a section of a shrink-wrap material, the side interfaces with a cold plate when the battery cell is within a battery pack.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the side faces downward when the battery cell is within the battery pack.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the section is seamless.
4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the side is a first side and the section is a first section, and further comprising placing a second section of the shrink-wrap material against a second side of the battery cell and placing a third section of the shrink-wrap material against a third side of the battery cell.
5. The method of claim 4 , including joining laterally outer portions of the second section with laterally outer portions of the third section.
6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the second and third sides extend from opposing edges of the first side transversely to the first side.
7. The method of claim 6 , including covering at least one laterally outward facing side of the battery cell with shrink-wrap material during the joining.
8. The method of claim 7 , further comprising heating the shrink-wrap material after the joining to shrink the shrink-wrap material to the battery cell.
9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising covering another side of the battery cell during the heating to block heat shrink material from covering the fourth side, wherein the fourth side faces away from the first side.
10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising wrapping a cap covering the fourth side during the heating rather than wrapping the fourth side.
11. The method of claim 5 , further comprising compressing the laterally outer portions of the second section and the laterally outer portions of the third section during the joining.
12. The method of claim 4 , wherein the second side and the third side interface with separators when the battery cell is within the battery pack.
13. The method of claim 4 , further comprising inserting the battery cell within a pocket provided by a cell holder when placing the second section against the second side and when placing the third section against the third side.
14. A battery cell assembly, comprising;
a case having a side to interface directly with a cold plate within a battery pack; and
a section of a shrink-wrap material covering the side.
15. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the section is seamless.
16. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the section is a first section and the side is a first side, and further comprising a second section of the shrink-wrap material covering a second side of the case and a third section of the shrink-wrap material covering a third side of the case, wherein the first section, the second section, and the third section are seamless.
17. The assembly of claim 16 , wherein the second section and the third section are joined at a seam to cover at least a portion of a laterally outward facing side of the case.
18. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the case includes laterally outward facing sides each covered by a section of shrink-wrap material having a seam.
19. The assembly of claim 14 , wherein the case includes at least five distinct sides covered by the shrink-wrap material.
20. The assembly of claim 19 , wherein two of the sides are covered by shrink-wrap having seams, and three of the sides are covered by shrink-wrap having no seams.
Priority Applications (3)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US14/294,846 US9614198B2 (en) | 2014-06-03 | 2014-06-03 | Battery cell shrink-wrap method and assembly |
DE102015108288.8A DE102015108288A1 (en) | 2014-06-03 | 2015-05-26 | Battery Cell Shrink Wrap Method and Assembly |
CN201510297233.7A CN105173247B (en) | 2014-06-03 | 2015-06-03 | Battery cell shrink wrapping method and assembly apparatus |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
---|---|---|---|
US14/294,846 US9614198B2 (en) | 2014-06-03 | 2014-06-03 | Battery cell shrink-wrap method and assembly |
Publications (2)
Publication Number | Publication Date |
---|---|
US20150349302A1 true US20150349302A1 (en) | 2015-12-03 |
US9614198B2 US9614198B2 (en) | 2017-04-04 |
Family
ID=54481629
Family Applications (1)
Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
---|---|---|---|
US14/294,846 Active 2034-11-04 US9614198B2 (en) | 2014-06-03 | 2014-06-03 | Battery cell shrink-wrap method and assembly |
Country Status (3)
Country | Link |
---|---|
US (1) | US9614198B2 (en) |
CN (1) | CN105173247B (en) |
DE (1) | DE102015108288A1 (en) |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US10186729B2 (en) | 2017-03-17 | 2019-01-22 | Ford Global Technologies, Llc | Battery cell compression method and assembly |
WO2020204901A1 (en) * | 2019-04-01 | 2020-10-08 | Spear Power Systems, LLC | Apparatus for mitigation of thermal event propagation for battery systems |
Families Citing this family (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
DE102017217108A1 (en) | 2017-09-26 | 2019-03-28 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Battery cell, method for its manufacture and battery module |
DE102018206033A1 (en) | 2018-04-20 | 2019-10-24 | Robert Bosch Gmbh | Method for wrapping an electrode composite with an insulating film and battery cell |
Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20070128513A1 (en) * | 2005-12-02 | 2007-06-07 | Sony Corporation | Battery pack |
US20080251114A1 (en) * | 2005-03-29 | 2008-10-16 | Kyocera Corporation | Method For Packing Solar Battery Elements and Package For Solar Battery Elements |
US20130260197A1 (en) * | 2010-11-18 | 2013-10-03 | Wataru Okada | Battery array, battery separator, and vehicle equipped with battery array |
US20150179990A1 (en) * | 2013-12-19 | 2015-06-25 | Ford Global Technologies, Llc | Pouch-type wrap for battery cell |
Family Cites Families (9)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US4188443A (en) | 1978-08-30 | 1980-02-12 | W. R. Grace & Co. | Multi-layer polyester/polyolefin shrink film |
US4492071A (en) | 1983-09-23 | 1985-01-08 | Ford Motor Company | Method for preparing blocks of glass for shipment |
US5050368A (en) | 1990-01-11 | 1991-09-24 | Tokiwa Kogyo Co., Ltd. | Shrink packaging apparatus |
US7174697B2 (en) | 2004-12-20 | 2007-02-13 | Kimberly-Clark Worldwide, Inc. | System and process for packaging products |
US7807290B2 (en) | 2006-12-01 | 2010-10-05 | Zero Motorcycles Inc. | Battery cell assembly |
JP5236265B2 (en) * | 2007-11-29 | 2013-07-17 | 京セラ株式会社 | battery |
US20120225331A1 (en) | 2011-03-02 | 2012-09-06 | Lithionics, Llc | Battery pack protection system |
JP2012248299A (en) * | 2011-05-25 | 2012-12-13 | Sanyo Electric Co Ltd | Battery module, battery system, electric vehicle, mobile object, power storage device and power supply device |
JP5743791B2 (en) * | 2011-08-02 | 2015-07-01 | 三洋電機株式会社 | Power supply device and vehicle equipped with power supply device |
-
2014
- 2014-06-03 US US14/294,846 patent/US9614198B2/en active Active
-
2015
- 2015-05-26 DE DE102015108288.8A patent/DE102015108288A1/en active Pending
- 2015-06-03 CN CN201510297233.7A patent/CN105173247B/en active Active
Patent Citations (4)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US20080251114A1 (en) * | 2005-03-29 | 2008-10-16 | Kyocera Corporation | Method For Packing Solar Battery Elements and Package For Solar Battery Elements |
US20070128513A1 (en) * | 2005-12-02 | 2007-06-07 | Sony Corporation | Battery pack |
US20130260197A1 (en) * | 2010-11-18 | 2013-10-03 | Wataru Okada | Battery array, battery separator, and vehicle equipped with battery array |
US20150179990A1 (en) * | 2013-12-19 | 2015-06-25 | Ford Global Technologies, Llc | Pouch-type wrap for battery cell |
Non-Patent Citations (1)
Title |
---|
WO2012/067045 to Okada published 05-2012 * |
Cited By (2)
Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
---|---|---|---|---|
US10186729B2 (en) | 2017-03-17 | 2019-01-22 | Ford Global Technologies, Llc | Battery cell compression method and assembly |
WO2020204901A1 (en) * | 2019-04-01 | 2020-10-08 | Spear Power Systems, LLC | Apparatus for mitigation of thermal event propagation for battery systems |
Also Published As
Publication number | Publication date |
---|---|
CN105173247B (en) | 2020-07-24 |
CN105173247A (en) | 2015-12-23 |
US9614198B2 (en) | 2017-04-04 |
DE102015108288A1 (en) | 2015-12-03 |
Similar Documents
Publication | Publication Date | Title |
---|---|---|
US9614198B2 (en) | Battery cell shrink-wrap method and assembly | |
EP3201972B1 (en) | Battery module thermal management features for internal flow | |
EP3063801B1 (en) | System and method for battery cell thermal management using carbon-based thermal films | |
US20140272513A1 (en) | Liquid-cooled battery module | |
US9559393B2 (en) | Battery module thermal management fluid guide assembly | |
US9825343B2 (en) | Battery module passive thermal management features and positioning | |
CN105431962A (en) | Lithium ion battery with lead acid form factor | |
CN105431973A (en) | Remanufacturing methods for battery module | |
US20160118701A1 (en) | Support structure for traction battery assembly with integrated thermal plate | |
EP3268999B1 (en) | Battery module separator plates | |
KR102299967B1 (en) | Heating tray for vacuum hopper free collection | |
CN104733671B (en) | For assembling the method and battery component of battery | |
US9768431B2 (en) | Battery pack separator | |
CN105633503B (en) | Battery assembly comprising battery cells wrapped with a thermally conductive film | |
US20190044203A1 (en) | Battery enclosure having a composite structure with a coolant channel | |
JP2020523745A (en) | battery pack | |
JP7170735B2 (en) | A battery module having a structure capable of preventing battery cell damage, a battery pack including the same, and a vehicle | |
KR102292722B1 (en) | Battery module, battery pack comprising the battery module | |
EP3921888B1 (en) | Battery system having a passive heat sink | |
US10497997B2 (en) | Assembly and method to maintain clearance to a thermal fin within a battery assembly | |
US20230246279A1 (en) | Case for an electrochemical cell for a battery, electrochemical cell arrangement for a battery comprising such a case and method for manufacturing such a cell arrangement | |
KR20180081921A (en) | Housing structure of Battery module | |
KR102317019B1 (en) | Apparatus for automatic folding | |
US20230178837A1 (en) | Traction battery assembly having a separator sheet | |
CN117594894A (en) | Battery container vent with pressure burst cover using electrical interlock for detecting thermal events |
Legal Events
Date | Code | Title | Description |
---|---|---|---|
AS | Assignment |
Owner name: FORD GLOBAL TECHNOLOGIES, LLC, MICHIGAN Free format text: ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNORS INTEREST;ASSIGNORS:BAEK, HYUNG MIN;UTLEY, BRIAN;REEL/FRAME:033020/0651 Effective date: 20140603 |
|
STCF | Information on status: patent grant |
Free format text: PATENTED CASE |
|
CC | Certificate of correction | ||
MAFP | Maintenance fee payment |
Free format text: PAYMENT OF MAINTENANCE FEE, 4TH YEAR, LARGE ENTITY (ORIGINAL EVENT CODE: M1551); ENTITY STATUS OF PATENT OWNER: LARGE ENTITY Year of fee payment: 4 |